Video Shows School Board Member's Car Hit Student

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (WXIA) -- A surveillance video clearly shows a vehicle running into a high school student in a Walmart parking lot last week, according Bartow County Sheriff investigators.

They released that video on Wednesday and for the first time the victim talked about what happened. Emily Gulledge, a Bartow County High School student said she doesn't believe the woman who hit her is being punished enough.

"I figured she would have my best interest in mind," said Gulledge. "I figured she would watch out for my safety and she clearly did not. I feel like she let everybody down."

Angela Cornett is charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor. Investigators say no matter the argument she was having with Gulledge, she had no reason to run her over.

Gulledge said she was saving a parking space for her brother's girlfriend who recently had a baby. She was standing in the space in front of the Cartersville Walmart when Cornett pulled up in her white Lexus SUV.

Cornett's attorney, John Mroczko, said Cornett regrets the situation, but what she did does not merit criminal charges. "Mrs. Cornett did not think that the girl was in the middle of the space and was blocking the space so she started to pull into the space (and) the girl walked into Mrs. Cornett's car," he said.

It has been a she said, she said story publicly until Wednesday when Bartow County investigators released a video of the incident from the Walmart parking lot.

Investigators said the video clearly shows the vehicle lunging into Gulledge. "You can't tell close up how she was struck or exactly how hard she was struck," said Sgt. Jonathan Rogers. "But you can see that she was standing there when the vehicle lurched forward and had to move out of the way quickly."

Though she wasn't injured seriously, Sgt. Rogers said the black streak on Emily's pant leg is evidence she was hit by the vehicles tire.

"As you can see in the video she stops and my leg is caught up in the tread of the tire," Gulledge said.

Bartow County investigators say there could be more charges Sgt. Rogers said Cornett could face more charges. Bartow County School Superintendent John Harper said he would not comment on Cornett's status until a hearing is held by the Board of Education.